Wofford has position battle brewing at tight end

Wednesday

Aug 13, 2014 at 11:49 PM

Several players are fighting for playing time as the season opener approaches.

By TODD SHANESYtodd.shanesy@shj.com

Taylor Bragg wasn’t just moved from Wofford quarterback as the victim of an overcrowded position.He was needed somewhere else.Bragg switched to tight end in the spring and was impressive enough to pull even with junior Zach Muller at the top of the depth chart. They are still close to neck-and-neck, even with the shoulder — Bragg suffered a minor injury that will keep him sidelined for at least few days but will not affect his season.“Nothing is better than competition,” tight ends coach Pete Kalinowski said. “When Taylor came over from quarterback, he gave us a lot of competition. Zach is probably going to end up being the starter. But Taylor is certainly pushing Zach.”Bragg (6-foot-3, 220) is a third-year sophomore from Thomasville, Ga. He took a redshirt season in 2012 and played mostly on special teams last year, appearing in one game at quarterback. With four other players vying for that starting job now and another on the rise, he made a seamless transition.“He obviously knows the offense and he’s very athletic,” Kalinowski said. “In the spring, he lacked a little bit of weight. But he was here all summer and didn’t miss a workout. He put on 15 pounds of muscle and now he’s just about as physical as they get. He had a play the other day and knocked the linebacker pretty good.”Muller (6-3, 240) is a fourth-year player from Plymouth, Minn., signed as a defensive lineman. He’s spent the past two seasons at tight end and is looking for his first career catch.“Zach played a lot of tight end in high school (15 catches for 249 yards and three touchdowns as a senior),” Kalinowski said. “He’s the most experienced guy and he’s made great strides. The first two years I had Zach, he was worried about a lot of things mentally. We spent a lot of time talking about that and how to prepare for games. He’s done a great job.”But there is another in serious contention for playing time. True freshman Chandler Gouger (6-4, 235) from Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tenn., has made quite an impact in the first two weeks. As a high school senior, he had 61 catches and 45 pancake blocks.“He is very impressive,” Kalinowski said. “After five days, he knew the playbook backwards and forwards. He knew all of it. Now it’s just learning the speed of the game and being consistent. What I really like about him is how much he cares and how much he loves the game.”Wofford has a scrimmage 2:30 p.m., Saturday at Gibbs Stadium and opens the season Aug. 30 at Georgia Tech.“I’m going to have a tough decision to make before then,” Kalinowski said.Wofford also has redshirt freshman T.J. Novotny (6-6, 255) from Milwaukee. He missed last season with a finger injury. Mike Nicklas (6-2, 240) from Westport, Conn., is a fourth-year junior who played offensive line until midway through last season. Nolan Auton (6-3, 225) is a redshirt freshman walk-on from Blacksburg High School.“I have a great group of guys,” Kalinowski said. “They can help in the passing game but they are also very physical and can get it done in the box. They can all block on the perimeter as well. …Tight ends here are never going to be the go-to guys. They realize that. But when they get opportunities, they need to make the best of it. With what we’re doing offensively, I have no doubt that these guys will have their chances to catch passes.”